Northern Ireland Open snooker 2020: ‘It’s like a war going on’ – O’Sullivan and Selby debate chalk
:focal(140x151:142x149)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2020/04/28/2811917-58003384-310-310.png)
Updated 18/11/2020 at 11:17 GMT
Have you ever wondered about the various differences between chalks, or even the difference between ferrules? Well, worry no more because Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby provided an absolute treat for snooker fans in the Eurosport studio at the 2020 Northern Ireland Open.
Mark Selby and Ronnie O'Sullivan
Image credit: Eurosport
After Mark Selby’s opening round victory at the 2020 Northern Ireland Open he joined Andy Goldstein and Ronnie O’Sullivan in the Eurosport studio for a fascinating chat on chalk and cues.
Goldstein asked Selby how he thought the table was playing to which Selby replied, “It was okay, thought it was a little bit pingy off the cushions but thought it reacted okay.”
O’Sullivan then asked Selby which chalk he was using and Selby told him it was a blue Taom chalk.
“You’re still getting pings off the cushion with the blue one?” asked a surprised O’Sullivan.
“But he’s [Selby’s opponent Andrew Higginson] using the Masters one, the one you use,” retorted Selby.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2020/11/17/2938480-60325568-2560-1440.jpg)
Mark Selby and Ronnie O'Sullivan break down key chalk differences
“Oh, so it’s messing you up,” said a chuckling O’Sullivan.
“Yeah, you’re messing everyone up with the ping!” replied Selby.
“That’s what you’ve got to do, as soon as they’ve got the blue one out you’ve got to get the triangle out.”
Goldstein asked the pair, who have nine world titles between them, to elaborate on the difference between the Taom and Masters chalk and the difference between blue and green.
“The blue one is the Taom one, which apparently you don’t get as many kicks or bouncing, unless both players are using the same, then it defeats the object,” said Selby.
The people that use Taom think it’s pointless because they totally hate this green stuff, it’s like a war going on," O’Sullivan added.
In terms of the blue versus the green Selby said, “I just think the texture is a little bit different, it’s [the blue] not as gritty as the green one when you’re chalking.
“Even with the green one you still used to leave little bits of debris on the cloth, little white spots, but with the blue you don’t seem to leave anything.
“Even back home I’ve been practising for a few hours and apart from the fingermarks on the table you wouldn’t know anybody’s played on it."
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2020/11/16/2938087-60317708-2560-1440.jpg)
'One of the shots of the day!' - Outrageous positioning from O'Sullivan
Goldstein then turned the conversation to cues and particular ferrules. There has been a recent uptick in the number of players using titanium ferrules rather than the more traditional brass ones.
Recently at the Home Nations, Eurosport pundit Jimmy White, who has made the move, explained why he had done it.
“With the titanium ferrule, the side doesn’t affect the cue ball until it hits the object ball,” White explained.
“When I first put it on my cue, I thought, ‘What have I done, I’ve made a mistake.’ It takes time to get used to, but then loads of shots are easier.”
Former world champion John Higgins is another who made the switch but Selby said it’s not for him.
“Nah, I just use a brass one,” Selby said in reply to Goldstein.
I mean that’s like a different situation, because that’s more or less changing your whole game because the ferrule’s going to be different.
“You’ve been playing for years playing a long red, swinging it around the angles knowing how much side you’re going to use.
“Putting a new ferrule on, a titanium ferrule, it’s basically like using a new cue.
“I speak to some of the players that use it and they say the ferrule’s not that much different but they can tell the difference. It’s not like night or day but for me I’ll always stick to the brass one..
Goldstein then turned to O’Sullivan to ask him.
“I’m too old for that now, there’s no point,” said O’Sullivan before Goldstein pushed him to explain what he meant,
“I used to be a searcher, now I don’t bother I just get down and play, just go against all the rules if you like and back yourself.
“That’s the best thing to do, otherwise you start looking for ferrules, chalk, this that or the other and you drive yourself mad.
At the end of the day if you’re cueing well put a broomstick around the balls and in theory it should go in the hole.
“I agree with Mark though, the blue stuff you don’t get kicks and it definitely eliminates the bounces which is important.”
Take advantage of our Black Friday offer to make sure you don't miss a moment from the 2020 NI Open this week
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement